You're Loved
by EchidnaPower
Summary: Adrien Agreste, Chat Noir, different identities but more alike than he would like to admit. No matter who he becomes at any given time, there's always something very important missing in his life. Will he ever find what he's looking for? Or is it possible he's always had it and never realized it? (My first Ladybug fic, dedicated to a very special friend)


**This is just a little something I was inspired to write, it's for a very special friend of mine and I sincerely hope she enjoys it. I own nothing except the story.  
** _

There were few things Adrien Agreste found more appealing than leaping over the rooftops of Paris as Chat Noir. The wind blowing through his blond locks, the surge of strength that filled his limbs whenever he transformed, and then of course there was the added bonus of getting to see Ladybug whenever an akuma made an appearance...not that he _wanted_ Paris to be under attack by a power hungry madman, it was definitely a vicious cycle.

But the _true_ reason he loved being Chat Noir was the sense of freedom that came with the suit. Every time he transformed it was like unlocking the door to the prison cell that was his life as Adrien. The expectations for him as a teen model were always unbearably high: smile but not too brightly, make sure your appearance matches the Agreste brand...don't ever lose control of your emotions.

All those rules and restrictions went out the door as Chat Noir, he could unleash all of those pent up emotions through his shameless flirting and endless bravado. He could make all sorts of puns that he only wished he'd be allowed to make as Adrien; in the rare moments he did make one as his civilian self, he would get an odd look from his friends and then he would be reminded that he was Adrien Agreste, and Adrien Agreste didn't just make stupid puns like that.

Chat was an outlet for his more playful side, the side of him that his father would never allow to be seen in public lest it sully their name and make it look like they didn't take their work seriously. He'd already been questioned once or twice why he recently always seemed to smell like camembert cheese (thank you Plagg), and it had taken some very creative lying to throw his father off any possible trail that might've led him to finding out about his double life as Chat Noir.

Considering how much she hated liars, Adrien had no doubt in his mind that Ladybug wouldn't be too pleased to find out about that.

Tonight however, Adrien wasn't transformed for freedom, or to feel the familiar adrenaline rush of Plagg's power infusing him with power of his own. Tonight, the lesser half (if you asked him anyway) of the dynamic duo was bounding his way up the Eiffel Tower to try and gather his thoughts.

And maybe convince himself he wasn't totally alone in the world.

It would seem crazy to suggest that Adrien Agreste, teen heartthrob for every female Parisian and a celebrity known throughout the world thanks to his father's influence, was ever lonely. He received fan mail on a daily basis, there were still instances where a few girls would mob him at school and beg for his autograph, and of course he had Nino to hang with during the rare times his father didn't have him doing something else for the business.

And then there was Ladybug.

Brave, bold and beautiful Ladybug. She had captured his heart in an instant, and there was no greater joy in his life than having her back and watching her save Paris from whatever poor soul Hawkmoth had warped into an evil, twisted version of themselves. He felt privileged to be her partner, and he would do anything to keep her safe. He'd already taken several hits for her in fact, and he never had any regrets for doing so. In his heart, he knew she was worth it.

But did even Ladybug _really_ care if anything happened to him?

He was Chat Noir for freedom, and it wasn't that hard to figure out that Ladybug was mostly in it for the sake of saving Paris. Oh, he had no doubt that she enjoyed being Ladybug, but it wasn't the same kind of enjoyment that he got out of it. While he was Chat, he was able to wear his heart on his sleeve, be the person he wished he could be in his everyday life without any possible repercussions. After all, who would ever suspect that quiet, reserved Adrien Agreste would be the puntastic and ever snarky Chat Noir?

The answer? No one.

Ladybug on the other hand was always carefully guarded, focused only on the mission and the people under her protection. She had no time to simply enjoy the thrill of being a superhero - or if she did, she at the very least didn't seem eager to use that time - as soon as the akuma was defeated, she would briefly exchange fist bumps and disappear into the distance before she could change back to normal, and then he would be left alone until the next time an akuma attacked.

Always alone.

He was alone at home in his huge house, with his father always holed up in his office or out of town on a business trip, and Nathalie - while he knew she cared for his wellbeing - wasn't exactly someone he could consider a mother figure in his life. There wasn't any love there, merely mild concern.

At school he had Nino, and every once in a while he also had Alya and Marinette (at least he thought so, he wasn't really sure considering she'd practically fall apart at the seams every time he spoke to her). But there he had to be his perfect self, he had to pay attention in class (even though he already knew most of the stuff being taught), he had to be careful not to involve himself in any unnecessary drama, all the same rules and regulations as usual and then some.

As Chat Noir, he merely had more fans, and a professional relationship with Ladybug. There was very little love to be found in his life, he got a very small amount from his friends at school, Ladybug would throw him a bone every once in a while, but other than that, love was scarce.

Even from his own father.

Adrien sighed and shook his head despondently as he leaned over the railing of the Eiffel Tower. From the very top, the City of Lights looked so peaceful, so beautiful...so unassuming and unaware of the inner turmoil one of its heroes silently felt on a daily basis. He risked his life for Paris on a daily basis, and Paris loved him for it, but it couldn't possibly fill the void in his heart, the one where only actual, sincere love - romantically or platonically - could fill.

If he disappeared tomorrow, would anyone care? What if Adrien Agreste simply vanished off the face of the Earth? What if Chat Noir never appeared at another fight again? Surely, his father would make it publicly known that there was an ongoing search, and even if he didn't show it, he knew his father cared...but there was a difference between knowing about a father's love, and actually experiencing it, that was what he was missing.

As for Chat Noir, all he would have to do is take off his ring, and somehow Plagg would find a new wielder. Not that he really thought Ladybug needed the help, she'd always found a way to win in the end, even when he was actively fighting against her due to one form of mind control or another. If he didn't come back, no one would miss him. Ladybug would just keep doing what she did best.

He breathed out a defeated chuckle and smiled a little. Here he was, letting a small bout of loneliness make him question his very existence. He knew that he was very privileged to be in the position he was in, and he had no delusions about his life. Having been all across Paris on more than one occasion, he'd met several people who were fighting just to make ends meet, and more than once he found himself wishing he could do more to help, it wasn't like he didn't have the resources.

But even then, the love the families had between them was somehow always a common fact, and the green eyes his mask emphasized couldn't be more fitting, as he found himself silently seething with envy at the affection in the families he met. He wanted that love, he wanted it so badly it hurt.

Adrien Agreste just smiled through it each and every day.

Again he sighed to himself and shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. Tomorrow was another day, and Adrien Agreste had a photoshoot in the morning that he'd have to be at the top of his game for. He hopped onto the railing and tensed his muscles as he prepared to make the leap onto the nearest building.

That's when he was suddenly grabbed from behind by a pair of arms that seemed very familiar.

He hadn't heard her arrive, nor did he have any idea why she'd done so, but as her sudden embrace began to tighten, he found himself almost robotically leaning back into it, his eyes beginning to water in gratitude for the incredibly thoughtful gift she'd given him.

He didn't need to look back to know that it was Ladybug surprising him with this gesture of (surely platonic) affection. Her feel, her smell - always somehow reminiscent of freshly baked bread - and even her very presence had a familiar sense of comfort and excitement.

Somehow she'd found him, somehow she just knew that he was currently fighting his inner demons, and in true Ladybug fashion, she'd arrived to save the day. Only this time, it felt different somehow. Through the skintight leather of his suit, he could feel her cheek pressed against his back, the very top of her hair grazed his neck and sent goosebumps traveling down his spine. While some small part of him still fantasized that this was a confession of true love, a much larger part of him suddenly realized the truth, and the truth - in this case - was greater than any fantasy he'd ever had.

This embrace was not because of duty, this embrace was not because an akuma had forced the two together only for them to be broken up seconds later by that same akuma, this wasn't even a hug done out of pity for the poor, stray alley cat who only wished he could keep up with Paris' greatest hero. No, this was so much more than that.

Adrien smiled and raised his hands to cover her own, even as a few tears of gratitude ran down his face. Suddenly his heavy heart felt supported, suddenly his somber mood had been ever so slightly lifted, suddenly he didn't feel quite so alone anymore. This embrace was sending a message through his soul, one that deep down he always knew to be fact but sometimes got hidden beneath all the other factors in both his lives. It sent the comforting message that Ladybug was really his friend, something he was now partly ashamed he'd needed to reminded of.

And of course, this embrace sent a message that he'd been dying to hear, a message that without words, made him feel like he had meaning in the world, and filled his heart with joy and recharged him for the coming days ahead, whatever they had in store. The message was short, simple and sweet, but it carried more weight than anything words could ever say, and Adrien knew he would never be able to repay his lady for the message she'd given him through one simple hug.

"You're loved."  
_

 **A/N: And so ends my first ever Miraculous Ladybug fic. I have more plans for this series in the future, but first I have to take care of some other business. This was really written to send a message that I truly hope got through in this story, and I really put my heart and soul into this to try and ensure that it did.**

 **In any case, for the rest of you, I hope you enjoyed this first story of mine for the Ladybug fandom. It's really an awesome show and has a lot going for it, more than I thought it would before I started watching it. Like I said before, I do have more plans. Just sit tight.**


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